1. Technical Field
The invention relates to an absolute robot-assisted positioning method which can be performed by a facility. The method optimises an assembly task which has been created theoretically at a computer workstation and which is implemented in reality by the facility. The disclosed facility comprises at least one robot, at least one measurement system and a computer, wherein the at least one measurement system monitors the at least one robot while the assembly task is being performed, and the robot and the measurement system are connected to each other via the computer.
2. Background Art
Methods for training robots for a predetermined assembly task are already known from the general prior art. One known method is the so-called teaching method, in which the robot and/or robot arm is moved by means of a control panel to desired positions on a movement trajectory which the robot has to travel during the assembly task. The points which are thus travelled to, and/or their co-ordinates, are captured in the robot controller. Each individual processing step is executed in this way, in order to accomplish the assembly task. A program is created from the sum of the processing steps, using which the robot can automatically perform the predetermined assembly task autonomously. If errors occur during assembly, or if parts of the assembly task are changed, the robot has to be taught new movement sequences again via the control panel.
Currently, initialising complex assembly facilities is largely accomplished manually. In the design phase, assembly processes are planned in a virtual environment, which are adapted to the robots involved for the actual processes in a time-consuming procedure. This adapting process compensates for the deviations in the robots and prevents reverse documentation and separation of the deviation factors. Consequently, a new adapting process has to be performed if the facility is exchanged or optimised.
DE 10 2012 009 010 A1 discloses a method for generating a robot movement. In the method, a capture element is manually moved to predetermined positions on the envisaged movement trajectory of the robot. The positions of the capture element are captured in relation to a co-ordinate system which can be predetermined, and a movement trajectory for the robot is ascertained on the basis of the reference points thus obtained. A force and/or torque to be exerted by the robot is also captured at at least one position by means of a capture element and assigned to a reference point in the co-ordinate system which is assigned to said position.
Since it is common to the known methods that they each have a relatively time-consuming program creating process, which has a negative effect on the cost of assembly, there is a need for a facility which is capable of directly implementing a theoretically devised assembly task.